Desire is a portal

Let’s talk about tomorrow’s full moon lunar eclipse in Virgo.

This is a very, very interesting and important lunation. Not only do we have a full moon eclipse in Virgo, but the south node is also currently in Virgo. In general, we know that full moons represent times of illumination, revelation, culmination. The presence of the south node, also known as Ketu in Vedic astrology, makes this full moon even more potent when it comes to release and detachment.

And when we have a full moon conjunct the south node, there's an extra emphasis on fated endings and milestone moments in a longer story of release and detachment (represented by the Virgo house in your natal chart). Why a longer story? Because the nodes transit each axis for approximately 18 months, and so this is the first lunation that we have in Virgo co-present the south node, but it will not be the last before this story concludes.

Wherever you have Virgo in your natal chart, this eclipse is initiating a longer pattern of release, detachment, and disintegration.

But wait, there’s more…

However, this is not a typical full moon because it’s a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses occur when the shadow of the Earth blocks the light of the Moon (from our perspective on Earth). Thus the blazing spotlight that the full moon tends to shine on matters becomes obscured, physically and metaphorically. We become cut off from the psychic clarity that the full moon normally represents.

In addition to that, this full moon in Virgo opposes Saturn, Neptune, and the North Node in Pisces.

Saturn represents structure, boundaries, discipline, duty, limitation, materiality, time. So when Saturn opposes the full moon this can provoke realizations about endings, blockages, or obstacles.

Yet we also have Neptune in the mix, and this adds a kind of rose-colored fog to Saturn’s realism. Not everything is necessarily as it appears. Not all revelations are true; not all obstacles are real.

This is where the magical liminality of this eclipse comes in.

Even though the full moon should be a time of illumination, the fact that it's an eclipse and that Neptune is aspecting the moon means that what we see now will be more like a mirage rather than a mirror.

There is this not-quite-real quality to the events, information, and feelings that arise during this moment. Whatever comes to light or happens will likely represent just a fraction of the full story. There will be a lot of reworking that goes on, especially because Mercury, the ruler of this eclipse, is about to go retrograde.

And of course we can’t neglect the presence of the North Node in Pisces.

Whereas the South Node represents a point of detachment, the North Node represents a point of irresistible magnetism, a growth edge of potential energy that demands that we stretch beyond what is safe or familiar. So while this eclipse will probably bring sudden and fated endings, it is also activating a glimpse into fated possibilities and new beginnings. Some things need to end in order for other things to become possible.

Wherever you have Pisces you are likely to become aware of both limitations and hints of a broader vision, an expanded realm of possibility. So although it may not be possible or advisable to immediately move forward on the revelations that are coming forward now, there is a lot of deep processing happening.

One last note on symbolism:

Virgo rules the digestive system and the nervous system in astrology. Virgo is a Mercury ruled sign, which is all about logical processing, pattern finding, and organizing information. This eclipse is going to emphasize healing and detoxing — physically and energetically. You may find that you are having a strong physical reaction to the transits this week. This could manifest as digestive issues or flare-ups of past or present health issues. It could also manifest as a sudden or heightened awareness about where you need to detox, where you want to embrace healing — not just physical healing, but also mental healing. It’s possible that psychic energy is manifesting physically now as well, as unexplained aches or pains lacking obvious root causes.

And now for some tarot!

The tarot this week asks us to consider three points:

Directions of Future Expansion (Two of Wands)

Where is your spirit craving expansion? Which direction(s) would you pursue if you knew that success was a guarantee?

There is a growing awareness about where we should devote our creative energy arriving with this eclipse. We are becoming conscious of our capacity to choose, to be really bold and imaginative in deciding which path(s) to follow. You’re being asked to zoom out a little bit and allow yourself to think about what it would be like if any direction of your choosing was open and clear and available to you now: how would it feel in your body? Allow yourself to go there in your mind, to dream about this and to really identify what it is emotionally that excites you and galvanizes you when you think about your future growth and expansion.

Not All that Glitters is Gold (Seven of Cups)

What is spiritually and emotionally nourishing to you? What does it feel like to have choices?

Given the flexibility required of us this eclipse, while it’s not a great time to set hard deadlines and detailed plans, it is a really good time to step into that Pisces North Node energy and allow ourselves to dream, imagine, and fantasize. Feel into the sources of contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, and pleasure in your life — current and future. Think about the intangible things, things that money can't buy. Again, you’re being asked to think about the choices that are coming up for you, whether those are real or imagined choices.

There is an emotional element to our evaluation of information now, but there is also a strong need to practice discernment. Not all that glitters is gold. Not all of the cups — sources of fulfillment — are equally valuable, although they may appear that way from our perspective now. Not everything that you may be emotionally reacting to is necessarily what it appears to be, yet there is this sense of agency and freedom and empowerment in the recognition of choice that regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the limitations of reality, imaginally and emotionally, we always have the freedom to envision and to dream and to desire.

And that desire is a portal.

What are you wanting to explore, look into, research? And what is your emotional connection to those things, places, or ideas? Where does that take you vibrationally?

Think about the law of attraction. The vibration, or emotion, you focus on creates an environment to attract or repel certain experiences. So if you can consciously hold a vibration of a certain energy for long enough, you will be able to start to pull in events and experiences that conform to that vibration. Magical, right?

Integration through Rest (Four of Swords)

What kind of self-knowledge can I distill from difficult experiences and feelings? Can I allow myself the time and space I need to process, rest, and recover?

When things around us are in flux (which they will surely be this eclipse season), rest and inaction can be extremely beneficial and healing. It can be extremely illuminating and clarifying to simply sit with the information and feelings you are processing and hold yourself in that liminal space between desire and action.

This eclipse season is a time when we may be really tempted to draw conclusions and immediately act on the basis of those conclusions, but the cards are asking us to first allow ourselves to just be with our own energy. How do different feelings sit in your body? What beliefs and stories rise to the surface for you? Can you make a conscious choice to reject those beliefs and stories that don’t empower you or stop you from healing?

Sometimes we think that time spent processing, resting, and recovering is wasted, but that is not correct. It is our human obsession with time (thanks Saturn) that makes us feel like we're behind or that we need to hurry whenever we take a moment to just be still and integrate.

The bottom line?

This eclipse encourages us to move in the direction of faith, belief, and magic, one feeling and dream at a time. There is no need to rush; you are right on time. How does it feel?